This invention relates to a device for use in training in the treatment of finger or toe nails, for example in the application of false nails.
The application of false nails is an established cosmetic process involving attaching the false nails by means of adhesive to the natural nail, and then shaping the nail to give the effect of perfectly manicured natural nails. A high degree of skill is required in applying and shaping a set of nails quickly and safely while achieving a satisfactory appearance. The adhesives used in attaching the false nails can cause discomfort if allowed to contact bare skin, while excessive abrasion in the preparation of the natural nail to receive the false nail can result in exposure of the underlying nail bed, causing the customer pain, even before contact by the adhesive. It can therefore take many weeks of training before an operator becomes suitably profident, particularly since the risk of damage to the customer by an unskilled operator deters volunteers from assisting in training.
The use of mannequin hands has not hereinbefore proved useful in assisting in training of operators, since it is impossible with a solid hand to simulate the typical feel of a natural hand and the variety of different types of natural nail and shapes and sizes of finger which might be encountered in practice. Some natural nails are readily accessible, while others may be recessed deeply in the surrounding flesh. The trainee must learn to handle all types of fingers safely without risk of damage to surrounding flesh or to the nail bed. While articulated fingers, for example as found in the wooden hands used as artists""may help to simulate the feel of the natural hand, such models do not usually include nails, or have a correct fleshy feel.
U.S, Pat. 4,403,442 teaches a novelty device for dolls that simulates the growth of fingernails and toenails through the use of lengths of extendable nail material stored within the body of the doll. This device permits a child to play by manicuring and painting the exposed portions of the nail material. Subsequently each length of nail material can be extended longitudinally to enable the used portion to be trimmed off, thereby exposing a new portion of the nail material for the child to play with. It also envisages that such doll hands and attached arm portions could be made of life size so that they are capable of receiving the hands and arms of a first child, thereby affording her playmate the opportunity to give her a manicure without the inherent dangers to the child of trimming, cutting and polishing. However, it does not teach how a child could safely insert her hands and arms into the device which is filled with the lengths of nail material and associated electrical motors operating drive rollers to extend the lengths of nail material. Whilst the concepts taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,442 provide possibilities for children to play with expendable nail material supported by artificial digits, its features are unsuitable for use as a serious training device by adults. Each length of extendable nail material must essentially pass with working clearance under the cuticle and then be received within nail tracks extending the length of the nail. Any attempt by a trainee to apply adhesive to the exposed nail surface would inevitably introduce the adhesive into the small clearances between the extendable nail material and the nail tracks thereby permanently securing the extendable nail material to the doll""s fingers. Similarly, when the surface of the nail material is abraded prior to application of a false nail, fragments of nail material and the abrasive would collect in the gap between the cuticle and the extendable nail material and would absorb the adhesive thereby forming a blockage which will eventually lock the extendable nail material to the doll""s finger. The use of fixed nail tracks also does not enable training to take place on nails of different shapes or having different degrees of bedding in the finger.
According to the invention a nail treatment training device has an artificial nail which is mounted against an artificial digit tip and has an edge that is seated against the artificial digit tip to define the junction between the nail and the digit.
Preferably at least part of the digit tip is formed from a resiliently compressible material to simulate a natural digit tip. In this event the mounting of the artificial nail may permit adjustment of the depth to which the edge is seated in the digit tip.
The mounting of the artificial nail may permit longitudinal adjustment of the nail relative to the digit tip and may permit adjustment of the depth to which the edge is seated in the digit tip. The digit tip preferably defines a resilient recess in which the nail is mounted.
The artificial digit tip may comprise a replaceable surface layer carried by the substrate. In this event the replaceable surface layer may either be a segmented preformed skin folded over and attached to the substrate, or a resilient sheath engaged over the substrate.
The nail is preferably secured to a member which extends through the replaceable surface layer and is attached to the substrate. In this event the member may be attached to the substrate by a device which permits adjustment of the depth to which edge is seated in the replaceable surface layer. This device may either comprise a threaded connection reacting between the member and the substrate, or a ratchet means operable between the member and the substrate.
The device may comprise an artificial hand or foot having five artificial digits each having its tip provided with an artificial nail. The digits may be articulatedly joined to a main or palm section of the hand or foot, and the digits may be provided with articulated joints between the segments thereof. The joints are preferably arranged to permit a degree of twisting of one segment of the digit relative to another, and more preferably the degree of twisting is such as to permit each digit to twist relative to the main section by up to 30 degrees.
The tip of the digit on which the nail is mounted may be detachably connected to the remainder of the digit so as to be replaceable.
In one embodiment of the invention, at least the tip of the digit is provided with a resiliently compressible surface, the nail being adjustably mounted whereby the nail may be positioned at a selected height relative to the surface. The resiliently compressible surface may be provided by way of a replaceable surface layer on a rigid, or less compressible, substrate. Preferably, the resilient material will be chosen to have, as nearly as possible, the same consistency, feel and properties as natural flesh.
The nail may be attached to the tip of the digit by a screw attachment, for example by providing the nail on the underside thereof with a threaded socket into which a screw is engaged through a hole through the digit tip, thereby securing the nail in such a manner that the compression of the nail in the resilient layer may be adjusted to simulate different types of finger, for example more or less fleshy fingers and nails more or less deeply bedded in the flesh. Alternatively, the nail may be provided on the underside thereof with ratchet means engageable in an aperture in the digit tip whereby the nail may be positioned at a predetermined height relative the to the surface. Longitudinal adjustment of the nail relative to the digit may be provided for.
In yet another embodiment, the nail is mounted on a resilient sheath engageable over the tip of the digit, the sheath simulating skin and the compressible surface of the flesh of the digit.
Different thicknesses of resilient surface layer may be used to simulate different degrees of fleshiness of the digits.
Different sizes and shapes of nails may be fitted selectively to provide the trainee with experience of a wide range of different nail types. these may be, for example, large or small, symmetrical or asymmetrical.
In a still further embodiment of the invention, the tip is provided with a resilient recess into which the nail is pressed.
The hand or foot is suitably mounted on a stand in such a manner as to permit a range of movements which simulates the typical movements of a natural hand or foot during treatment. This may be achieved by, for example, ball-and-socket mountings, sliding mountings or the like.
The device of the invention provides an accurate representation of a client""s hand, with nails which can be adjusted to simulate those likely to be encountered by the operator in every day practice, so that the operator can be rapidly trained to best practice without dependence on volunteers and without risk of damage to clients"" hands. After use, the resilient surface layer and the nail will typically be removed from the digit tip and replaced with fresh materials for the next training exercise.
It will be appreciated that both left and right hands (or indeed feet) can be used to give the trainee the most realistic training.